Thursday, March 03, 2005

How do you follow up a month-long series of posts on Black History Month? I don't know, but I'm about to try.

There are some things on the horizon that I just haven't sat down to write yet. First, there's my review of Ray (which I watched only two days before Jamie won the Oscar). Then, there's a new series of posts that put a spin on the music and movie reviews I normally do. I also might try my hand at book reviews, assuming I finish a book (I have to restart that fifth Harry Potter book, I have to!). I am writing a new short story that I seem to only add to once every few days. I have at least three other short story ideas lined up (as in written out) but I am determined to finish this new story first. Finishing that story will coincide with the second coming of my creative writing blog.

No major things have gone on in my life recently. However, there are a couple of things of note:

-I now have a love/hate relationship with online/computer job applications. As part of my General Assistance from the township, I have to apply for five jobs per month. That sounds easy enough until you realize that they have to be done in-person and the potential employer has to fill out a section on your work letter. Because of my procrastination (and my dad's), I basically waited until the last minute to look for the five jobs I needed. What I found in my search is that more and more stores, even ones you wouldn't expect, use exclusively online or computer applications. Carson Pirie Scott had a paper application, as did Old Navy, Office Max, and Linens 'N' Things. However, Sportmart and Marshalls each had online only applications. Sears and Wal-Mart had computer applications you could do in-store. I lucked out with Borders, though. They have online applications, but they let you fill it out in the store if you ask them. Plus, the manager signed my sheet. In the meantime, I really hope some of these applications pan out.

-Speaking of General Assistance, the people in charge of the Workfare (the weekly volunteer thing I have to do as part of my General Assistance) must be getting pressured or something like that. I went to do my Workfare on Wednesday and they had everyone sign an additional Rules and Regulations sheet. Most of the stuff on there is pretty reasonable and had been told to us before we started working. However, I think some dumb people have been abusing the freedom we had there and the Workfare people felt the need to rein things in.

In the past couple of weeks I worked at the Food Pantry, I was given a job to do by the boss. There would be times that I would not have anything to do and someone else would ask for help, say, in taking down a box. I would go do that and then go back to my area. Now, as part of the new Rules and Regulations, I can't do that at all. I saw that in practice today, when a lady there called me to help her get a box that was over her head. The rush had slowed down and I was just standing around. I was about to go get the box for her when the boss told her to wait for someone else to do it. You want to know the sad part...technically, if I went to get that box for her, I could've been sent home and owed the Workfare people two days of work. This is the only place I've seen where helping someone else out could get you in trouble. I really want a job now.